Chapter 8
“Have none of you thought about researching Tony before? I mean the man has a tech mogul hunting him down. He won’t let anyone know where he lives, he has like seven PhDs but teaches kindergarten. Things aren’t adding up,” Stephen says in the teacher’s lounge the next day.
“It never came up, and it’s hardly our place to invade his personal life, even if we do have an interest in him,” Loki says.
“Besides Nat tried one time when we went swimming one time and we saw this bunch of scars on Tony’s chest. The man is a ghost. There’s nothing about him anywhere. The only Stark we could find is a Howard Stark and there doesn’t seem to be a connection,” Clint says.
“And none of you find that odd?” Stephen asks and the others shrug.
“Yeah we find it weird, but there isn’t much we can do. We have to respect Tony’s privacy and I know that there are a lot of things that don’t add up but we have to be careful. This could put Tony in danger because obviously he doesn't want someone to know where he is,” Clint says.
“Yes, I know. But…” Stephen says and stops as Rhodey comes in lunch balanced on his lap as he opens the fridge and slides it in there.
“You know, stopping a conversation as soon as Tony or I enter the room isn't going to do anything except make Tony worry you were talking about him behind his back. Which will cause your relationship more harm than good,” Rhodey says and they at least have the decency to look embarrassed.
“Sorry, we know it’s rude but we’re the only people we can talk to about this since Tony isn't interested in any of us,” Clint says.
“Says who?” Rhodey asks.
“He never responds to any of our flirting,” Clint says.
“Because he doesn't realize you're flirting with him. He thinks you're being friendly. You've see how he is with me. That's what he thinks friendship is. He needs to be hit over the head with the knowledge that you're flirting with him and want to go out with him and not just for sex,” Rhodey says and leaves the room leaving the two teachers there looking dumbfounded.
“You guys okay? You look like you just made a great discovery,” Tony says walking into the lounge with a brace on his wrist.
“What the heck happened to you?” Stephen demands shooting up and trying to immediately get a look at what happened.
“I'm fine Stephen. I just got into a little accident with my neighbor's dog's tennis ball and the stairs in my apartment building. It's just a sprain. I've had worse,” Tony says trying to pull his hand away but Stephen won’t let him.
“Tony, this is more than a sprain,” Stephen says as the arm is pulled out of his hands and Tony takes a step back and slips his lunch into the fridge.
“Tony…” Stephen says.
“I said I’m fine Stephen, please,” Tony says eyes wide and he runs out of the room and goes to his classroom.
Stephen spends the day continually glancing down the hall towards Tony’s classroom. The door is closed and he can only see flashes of the man through the small glass window in the door and when the man has to take them to the gym or the cafeteria.
It’s when Tony brings the kids to Stephen’s classroom that Stephen pulls Tony into the hall and feels bad when the man watches him closely and suspiciously.
“I’m sorry for this morning. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressed you for information,” Stephen says feeling wrong for not insisting Tony tell him what actually happened because there is no way he is willing to believe that Tony’s injury is due to a tennis ball and a flight of stairs. There is something off and Stephen needs to find out but not if it will upset Tony.
“It’s fine Stephen. I was just over reacting. We’re friends and you were just worried about me and I flew off the handle,” Tony says and focuses on something over Stephen’s shoulder. Eugene give Peter his toy back,” Tony says and Stephen watches the boy in question hand the stuffed spider back to him and Peter holds it close and wanders back to his seat and Stephen smiles. It’s like he has a sixth sense for when his kids need him and it is adorable.
Stephen is leaving the school later that evening when he can see Tony and Rhodey heading for the parking lot and Stephen is about to call out when a limo that looks like it costs more than his entire apartment pulls up in front of them and Tony flinches back and Rhodey rolls in front of him.
Stephen watches as Tony suppresses a shudder and climbs into the limo with a few soft words whispered to Rhodey and then the limo is taking off and Rhodey is left there alone before he pulls out his phone and calls someone and Stephen watches as the red headed woman from the supermarket appears and drive Rhodey home while the two seem to debate heatedly about, Stephen can only assume, what just happened.
Stephen stares at where his coworkers had been and immediately heads to Bruce’s house and sends a message in the group chat to meet him there. They need to figure out what’s happening with their friend and they need to figure out if Tony is okay.
Stephen hates the idea that Tony might be in danger or might be in some sort of trouble.
If they can’t be with Tony they can at least make sure that he is safe and happy.
And to do that they need to know all of Tony’s little secrets.
For his own safety.